A Little Soldier Boy
by Laser Lance 720
Summary: Lu Ten touched a lot of people before he died. Even after his death those who loved him most still remember those treasured times. A look into some of the most rememberable moment of Lu Ten told from the eyes of Iroh and Zuko, the moments leading up to his death, the words that changed a war, and how a certain prince would never forget the promise he made his cousin.


**Disclaimer: I own nobody…. They belong to much more creative and rich people. *Curse you Mike and Byran!* **

**A/N: So this was spawned from a challenge from one t-rex989, *waves to t-rex989* who wanted a fic about the GAang learning about Lu. I don't think it turned out exactly like I had originally planned, but I like the outcome. You can thank him for putting this little plot bunny here to work. **

**Important Shizznets: takes place mainly in Ba Sing Se… *kill me later,* and after the war. **

**I originally was working with the idea of Zuko just telling them, but as I thought more about what we got to see of Lu Ten, and as I read more of the Lu ten centered fanfic I was reading, I decided that just telling the GAang wasn't enough for me. No, I had to turn this into a big emotional thing. Hope you enjoy. **

_******Italicized is past memories, Either During Ba Sing Se or during Lu Ten's time with Zuko, depending on moment******_

Music teased the ears of those living in Ba Sing Se's crowded streets, as performers danced through the roads, leaving melody's stringing behind and before them; a sense of joy and freedom radiated in the air as the celebrations continued from dusk to dawn. It had only been four months since freedom had swept over the world at the Fire Lord's defeat. Four months since the Dragon of the West had retired and taken up residents in Ba Sing Se. Four months since his growing nephew had taken the thrown to lead the Fire Nation away from war.

It had been five years since the death of his only child, just on the outskirts of the city.

Iroh's old ears tuned out the joyful sounds that flooded Ba Sing Se, and the surrounding areas. The newly taken down inner walls allowed the sound to travel and touch all ears; including the ears of a certain retired general on top a small hill. Callused hands gently lifted the lid from the picnic basket and brought the old portrait to his face. Lively charcoal painted eyes stared at him from the page; a half turned smile forever imprinted on the parchment. Setting the beloved face against the tree, Iroh pulled the incents from the basket. His fingers set a quick blaze on the tips before letting them rest before the face.

"Leaves from the vine," Iroh's voice was heavy as he knelt on the mountain.

"Falling so slow," the argument he had had with his son only hours before his death played behind his closed eyes.

"Like tiny fragile shells," the grin of a young child in his older cousin's arms.

"Floating in the foam," watching Lu Ten's body being carried away from the rubble, knowing there was nothing he could do.

"Little soldier boy," his son donning the Fire Nation uniform for the first time.

"Come marching home," troops trudging home after the crushing defeat.

"Brave soldier boy," the face of a scarred and crying Zuko cut across his mind.

"Comes marching home," the image of his son's body burning in the flames.

Those days seemed so far behind.

The sun was beginning to set in the evening sky when Iroh cleaned up his space and faced the city.

-oOo-

"_I think it's time we pulled out father," Lu Ten's voice brought Iroh's eyes up from the battle plan to see his son entering into the tent_

_Iroh's eyes widened at the brass his son had at the moment. Any other time he would have been proud of his son's determined stance and bravery, yet in that moment he was mostly irritated. Irritated that his son was making this challenge now; with two of Iroh's highest ranking officers with him. A quick glance at the two told them to leave. Both men grabbed their things, bowed respectively to the prince and left; one making due sure to bump against Lu Ten's shoulder on the way out._

"_I am sorry father," Lu Ten bowed to his father still sitting in the chair, "I was not aware that you had company in this tent as well. I did not mean any disrespect to you, or the men…"_

_Iroh waved his hand, brushing off the rambled apology his son was giving. In all truth the general had been looking for a means to make the two men leave, but he was not about to let his son in on the unintended helpful part he had played. "Now what was it you were saying?"_

"_Just that I think it is time we face the facts sir," Lu Ten met his father's eyes, "and realize that Ba Sing Se is not planning on falling anytime soon, and that it may be best to pull out before any more lives are lost." _

"_Now is not the time to retreat son," Iroh narrowed his eyes at his grown son curiously. "Not when we have the enemy on the breaking point."_

"_But you have been here for how long father?" Lu Ten shock his head unbelievably, "600 days! That's a little less than two years we have been trying. We have already lost many men, the enemies losses are just the same, and we are not one step closer to succeeding than we were the first day." _

"_Not true young one," Iroh nodded his head sagely in the direction of the city outside the tent walls, "I don't remember there being that much of a dent on that outer wall when we came." _

"_But that has taken almost two years, just to break that one wall. There are still two, three, who knows how many other walls inside that we must break through. And while the wall may be a big break, we did not gain much out of it aside from many enemy lives."_

"_Do not set aside good farm land so quickly son," Iroh chuckled reaching for the cup of tea beside him. Taking a sip and grimaced at the cold of it. "Without that land the citizens inside will have lost a great source of their food. Hungry men cannot fight."_

"_Neither can they live." Lu ten checked the anger that rose in his words. "If they have no food, than yes it will make the soldiers weaker, but what of the woman and children living behind those walls as well? Are they too to starve until the walls fall?"_

"_That is the price of war…"_

"_Than the price of war is too high!"_

_Iroh was stunned silent for a moment as he looked at his son before him. The boy who had been so willing to go off to war, who had carried his sword on his back and let his inner fire burn bright with pride as he stepped onto the boat heading for the front. That boy was now gone, in his place stood a matured man who was beginning to question the world around him. _

"_Is it right to kill innocent people," Lu Ten's voice had dropped quieter, "who have done nothing but live?"_

"_There are no innocents in war," Iroh sighed standing up. Moving around the table he placed a hand on his son's shoulders, half wondering when he had grown so tall, "just bystanders who had been in the wrong place, at the wrong time." _

"_There are too many 'wrong time, wrong places,' going on." _

-oOo-

"Uncle!" His nephew's voice greeted him at the door of the tea shop as he entered once more. Iroh's golden eyes lifted to meet the identical pair of Zuko's. The teen was practically running towards him; menu's in one hand, tea cup in the other, and an apron threatening to wrap around his moving legs. "Thank Agni you're alright. It was getting late, and nobody knew where you were, and when you asked if we could watch the shop for a few hours we didn't think you had meant all day, and it's been hectic, Katara waterbent the tea to slap some guy, and Toph threw another out the window, and I set the kitchen on fire a few times, and we are have been worrying about…."

Zuko's eyes landed on the picnic basket that was still in his uncle's hand and noticed the faint tear stain on the corners of his eyes that the man had not been able to whip clean away. He understood instantly where his uncle had been for those missing hours.

"I'm sorry Uncle," Zuko rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. Noticing the looks that the others were giving behind them as they realized Iroh had returned safe. "I didn't realize what day it was."

"That's quiet alright nephew," Iroh smiled at the boy. "I didn't realize how late I had stayed out, and I am sorry for worrying you. As well as leaving you all to tend to the shop. I thought there was a meeting tonight that you were supposed to attend at the palace? I can take over here if you need to go."

"I think I can miss this meeting." Zuko slid his arm around his uncle's and led him through the shop towards the apartment he used upstairs. "They'll all be arguing too much to even notice I'm not there. Besides, it's late and you look like you could use some sleep. I can get the others to help me clean up and close the shop tonight."

"I think you all have worked enough Zuko," Iroh laid basket on the table in the upstairs foyer and turned to his nephew. The apartment that the two had shared for a week while running the Jasmine Dragon had felt empty since Iroh had moved back in. "Go have fun tonight. Go to the festival with your friends. Take young Katara on a date. I can clean up and finish everything here. You all have done enough for me today."

"I don't think so," Zuko pointed at the aging man, narrowing his golden eyes at him. "You've got the rest of the night off. It will only take us a few minutes to wrap everything up. And besides, I need you bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow morning when you get to deal with all the customer complaints about our work ethics. Good night, Uncle."

Iroh smiled to himself as his nephew closed the door behind and him and made his way downstairs.

-oOo-

"_Lu Ten look at this," the young voice drew the prince away from his book, only to land on his cousin racing towards him. The teen prince smiled at the six year olds joyful face as Zuko stopped before him. Zuko's cupped hands opened to reveal a small flame flickering in the palm of his hands. The flame was nowhere near big, but the trembling spark was enough to brighten up the child's face._

"_That's pretty impressive Zu," Zuko's smile only grew bigger with Lu Ten's praise. The fifteen year old couldn't help but chuckle at the toothy grin._

"_You think so?" his voice was so innocent and light. "You really think so?"_

"_I do," Lu Ten couldn't help but notice that the flame had gone out in the boy's small hands. Zuko didn't seem to notice._

"_Oh ya," Lu Ten raised his eyes to spot Azula beside her brother, "I can do it too!" The little four years flame almost seemed to be shimmering, and the fact that it was larger than her delicate looking hands didn't seem to play a part as she held complete control over the fire. "What do you think?"_

"_I think it's really good," the makings of a sneer spread over her face as she eyes Zuko. "I think both of you are going to become amazing benders." That answer didn't seem to appease Azula who stomped off with the accuse of playing with Ty Lee, but Zuko stayed and sat beside his cousin. A frown crossed the small boys face._

"_What's wrong little Dragonfly?" Lu Ten nudged the grumpy boy._

"_Why can she do it too?"_

"_Do what?" Lu Ten asked, even though he was fairly certain what 'it' was._

"_Bend?" Zuko glared at the dirt with fury. "She's always doing everything I do, and doing it better than me. Her fires bigger than mine! And it's not just that. Why couldn't I do that at four? It's not fair that I had to wait for lousy six and she does it at four. Why can't she let me be good at something? At least for a while before she upstages me?"_

"_Upstages?" Lu Ten forced the chuckle to stay. "That's a big word for such a little man."_

"_I'm not little!" Zuko yelled with all the fury that could fit in such a small child. "I'm a big boy now. I do big boy things."_

"_Like?" Lu Ten grinned, before he elbowed Zuko playfully. A grin threatened to creep over the small boys features._

"_Like firebend." Zuko answered softly, the struggling grin disappearing. "But Azula can to. And I'm nowhere near as good as you, or Uncle Iroh, or dad."_

"_A little practice and you'll be upstaging all of us Zu."_

"_Azula doesn't need practice." Zuko folded his arms over his chest. "I've practiced for weeks to keep that flame. She just started yesterday and her flames already bigger than mine."_

"_Let me see your flame again," Lu Ten grinned at the small boy as Zuko cupped his child like hands. After a moment that seemed to stretch forever, a small spark ignited in the boys hands. Lu Ten hummed slightly and inspected the flame that Zuko was offering. _

"_Interesting…" he muttered. "Very interesting?"_

"_What's interesting?" Zuko jumped, nearly causing the shivering flame to go out. _

"_It's just that," Lu Ten flicked his wrist and let a small flame set in his palm. Placing them beside his cousins, he watched as Zuko's eyes darted back and forth between the two. "Your flame, and Azula's flame, and even mine, all look the same."_

"_Of course silly," Zuko rolled his eyes._

"_Do you know what that means?" Lu Ten asked._

"_No."_

"_It means," He answered, "that there's nothing special about her fire, or even mine, that isn't also with yours. Maybe you might have to work a little harder than your sister does, but there's nothing keeping you from becoming just as good as she is. You've got a spark inside you Dragonfly, don't let that die." _

"_But I want to be good at something that Azula's not." Zuko whined letting the fire fade from his hand. _

"_I'll tell you what," Lu Ten let his flame die and stood, Zuko following suit. "How about I teach you something nether Azula or your dad knows how to do?"_

"_What's that?" the grin spreading over Zuko's face seemed contagious because Lu Ten couldn't keep a similar smile off his face as he lead the young boy to the training area he kept his dual swords at._

-oOo-

"So where has your Uncle been all day?" Aang raised an eyebrow at the slight frown that had appeared over Zuko's face as the others helped him close up the shop. Toph kicked the last person out the door before locking it and heading over towards the others at the table.

"And what's with the picnic basket?" Toph crossed her arms in front of her. Aang slide around the table, pushing Katara into Suki, which knocked the warrior out of the booth; and offered a spot to the earthbender. With a seeming glance at the airbender she sat beside him. "Was he on some kind of date or something?"

"It's my cousin's birthday today." Zuko's eyes fell slightly, his hands gripping the counter ledge he was using to sit on. His mind traveled back to the last time his Uncle had ventured out to that hill; just after they had first reached the city. The man had taken a day away to reflect, on what had that day been the day of Lu Ten's death. He had remembered that first time his Uncle had disappeared what that day had been. Yet he had forgotten what today was. Zuko inwardly cursed himself. Or what today would have been.

"You have a cousin?" Sokka's eyes widened from his position on the counter top beside the firebender. Around the room, the others eyes widened at the knowledge. "Why have you never mentioned this?"

Katara cast a knowing look at the firebender as she helped the fallen Suki up from the floor. The Kyoshi Warrior brushed herself off before climbing onto the counter beside Sokka.

"Why haven't we met this mysterious cousin of yours?" Sokka eyes his friend cautiously. "Knowing your family, it's always best to keep tabs on you people."

"He passed away a few years ago." Zuko answered solemnly.

"We're sorry Zuko," Sokka instantly answered. Katara stood to try and reassure the bender, as she alone was the only one of the group present to have heard the story, but stopped when she saw Sokka's hand already placed on the teen's shoulders; an understanding look shared between them.

"So this cousin of yours…" Suki lifted her head towards the two boys beside her, "I take he was your Uncle's kid?"

"Ya," Zuko nodded. Shaking his head slightly he lifted his gaze. "Uncle didn't take it very well. Part of me knows that being in Ba Sing Se today doesn't help, but…" his deep voice trailed off as he gazed towards the brown door in the kitchen that lead to the upstairs apartment his Uncle was hopefully sleeping in.

"Do you mind us asking what happened?" Aang scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he looked at his old firebending teacher.

"My cousin, Lu Ten, died during the Ba Sing Se siege. Until we heard about it, I never imagined that my cousin could be killed. He seemed to be the closest thing to immortal as far as I could tell. But that was probably because Lu was one of the best things about growing up. He just had this way of making everyone love him, was able to fix pretty much any problem I brought to him. He was like a brother growing up. Than he decided to go to war; he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. And I wanted to follow in his. It was supposed to be the three of us, me him and Uncle. The three of us against the world. But things didn't work out that way." Zuko shrugged slightly as if the talk of his deceased cousin was nothing.

-oOo-

"_We are one step closer to victory today men," Iroh chuckled solemnly as he gazed over the calmed battlefield; his eyes tasking great care to avoid landing on the litter of bodies. "Lt. Mustang, and officer Huoges, I am putting the two of you in charge of helping get the wounded back to the clinic. Can I trust you with this task?" Iroh turned his golden gaze upon the two soldiers behind him, both saluting him respectfully. With a sharp turn the two marched off on the given task._

"_Hold on a second you two," Iroh spoke up, his eyes landing on his son by the base of the wall. Lu Ten had his back to him, but Iroh could clearly see what he was doing. "Bring any injured Earth Kingdom soldiers to the infirmary as well to be treated."_

"_Sir?" _

"_That's an order soldier." Iroh growled causing the two men to scramble away. Directing his eyes back onto his son's back, Iroh's eyes softened as he watched Lu ten help a bleeding Earth Kingdom soldier, who looked far too young to be involved in such a war, to his feet. The enemy reluctantly used the firebender to support him as he hobbled on his remaining one good leg. The slight smile that was beginning to form on the general's face quickly fell as events turned worst._

_The explosion rocked the encampment, the general tumbling to the ground from lack of balance. Still on his knees, his eyes searched the area where Lu Ten had been moments ago, only to be blinded by the rubble that surrounded the mushroom like cloud. _

"_Lu Ten!" his booming voice cut through the silence that shrouded over the field. He was not aware when he had gotten to his feet; he wasn't even aware of his own voice calling for his son as he scrambled through the blinding debris fog. Iroh's golden eyes spotted the fallen Earth Kingdom soldier lying face down, his arm twisted behind his back; unmoving. His son lay feet away._

"_Lu Ten!"_

_The smoke slowly filtered into the air, as father clutched fallen child in the wreckage of fallen stones and bodies._

-oOo-

The gasp escaped Iroh's lips as he sat up suddenly, a tear trickling down his face. He kept telling himself that the dream had past. After years of the same reoccurring nightmare, Iroh had thought by now he would be able to calm himself quicker than this.

The retired general would never forgive himself for letting his son die like that. It had been his fault that Lu Ten had been out on that battle field that day. If he had only listened to his boy when he had first tried to convince him to withdraw. If only he had opened his eyes to the horror of war sooner.

For that, Iroh could never forgive himself, and he would reside to putting up with the haunting nightmare that was only the beginning of his punishment for being so blinded.

-oOo-

"_Your cousin Lu Ten did not survive the battle…" _

"_How do you know what he should do? Maybe he's just sad because his only child is gone forever…"_

"_With Lu Ten gone, Iroh has no heir. But I am alive father and my children are healthy. Use me…" _

"_It's Uncle Iroh's fault that Lu ten is dead Zuzu. You know it, I know it, and even Uncle Fatso has to have realized that by now…" _

"_Ever since my son died… I think of you like my own Zuko…." _

"_If anything where to happen to me Dragonfly while I'm going to be gone, I want you to take care of my dad for me. Promise me that Zu, you know how he is, he'll need someone there to keep him out of trouble..."_

-oOo-

"What's got you out here?" Zuko didn't lift himself from his leaning position on the balcony ledge, just merely tilted his downwardly looking face towards her as she joined beside him.

"Nothing much," he shrugged carefully.

"I don't need Toph's tremor skills to know when you're laying Zuko." Katara frowned scooting closer to him. "The only reason that you would be up, in the middle of the night like this, would be because something is bothering you. So what is it?"

"I was just thinking." He shrugged again. The firebender cast his eyes out onto the Earth Kingdom Palace's garden before them. King Kuei had been kind enough to offer the east guest wing of the palace to those visiting for the peace meetings, and while Zuko wouldn't have minded spending a few days at his Uncles, he understood how much he was needed here; even if he did manage to miss a meeting or two on excuse of his Uncle.

"This is about your cousin isn't it?"

"Yep," Zuko answered quietly. "I was just thinking of how everything was different before he died."

"What do you mean?" Katara laid a soft hand on his shoulder to reassure him that she was listening and there for whatever was bothering him.

"Remember what I told you on Ember Island, about the day we heard the news, and how my mother left and what my father was planning." Zuko's golden eyes connected with her blue as they both recalled the memory. "If Lu Ten had lived through Ba Sing Se, than my father would have never asked my grandfather for the throne; my mother never would have had to leave to save me. And in extent, Ozai never would have become Fire Lord and that day in the war room never would have happened. I probably never would have been banished. Never would have caused you all so much trouble. Maybe Azula would have turned out better, if both my mother and cousin had been able to help her before she lost it. Everything tumbled down the day we heard about Lu Ten's death."

"You can't blame your cousin for what happened…"

"That's just it," Zuko shock his head, "I don't blame him. It's not like he wanted or decided to die. And it wasn't his fault that his death ended up being the turning point for my father to take control. He didn't know what was going to happen after he was gone. No, what upsets me isn't what happened after his death, it was what didn't happen. I made him a promise before he left for the war. I told him that if anything were to happen to him, that I would take care of Uncle Iroh and make sure he was okay. And what do I end up doing? Make Uncle put up with three years of my ignorance and anger on that ship, nearly got him killed trying to protect me several times, turned my back on him, did nothing but make him worry. He had lost both his wife and son, and I just made life worst for him."

"I can tell you that that's not how your Uncle sees it Zuko. He stayed with you, and put up with you, because he loved you." Katara smiled slightly. "He chose to go with you when you were banished, and he chose to stick with you through it all. He loves you Zuko. I've never seen anyone as close as you and your Uncle are."

"Uncle told me once, right before I was heading into the North Pole, that he thought of me like a son. After all the stress, and worry, and aggravation I caused him, he still considered me his own. I never told him that I had begun to think of him as a father, never told him just what his words meant. For him to care about me, as much as he did Lu Ten…" Zuko bit his bottom lip. "Just hearing him say that, it meant more to me than anything Ozai could have ever given me."

-oOo-

"_One day, I'll be just as brave and strong as you daddy!" Lu ten beamed, the young boy leaning his head against his father's shoulder as they rested against a turning tree. A single red leaf tumbled to the ground before them, drawing Lu Ten's eyes with it. When the falling object rested Lu Ten nuzzled himself farther against his dad chest. _

"_Oh really," Iroh smiled down at his son before him. Only a week before the thirteen year old had lost his mother to illness, yet the defiant gleam in his hazel eyes stayed. _

"_Ya," the boy grinned noticing his young cousin wandering around playing in the fallen leaves of the courtyard. The four year old seemed fascinated with the falling objects and paid no mind to the others enjoying the cool autumn air. "I want to be big and strong, that way I can protect you and Aunt Ursa, and Zuko and even baby Azula."_

"_What about your Uncle?" Iroh chuckled lovingly at his son._

"_Uncle Ozai too I guess," the child smiled brightly. A short distance away little Zuko had spotted his cousin and uncle. The toddler grinned a toothy smile before rushing over. Lu Ten gave his father a hopeful smile before asking to play. Iroh nodded. Before he could utter a word, the child was gone from his lap and was starting to help the little toddler build a pile of leaves to play in. _

_A prick in the back of his mind told Iroh that the joyfulness of childhood wouldn't last forever for these two. As much as it pained him, he knew there would come a day whenever frolicking in the leaves and making sand castles would end. That was the way of the world, and the two princes' were no exception._

_Despite the foreboding future, Iroh smiled. _

_He smiled at his son; the boy was his world now that his wife was gone._

_And he smiled at his nephew; the noisy toddler who would one day become just as much of a son as Iroh's own had. _

_**-oOoOoOoOoOo-**_

**Wow… Authors Note!**

**First order of business… Thoughts? This fic has taken almost, I wouldn't say a week, but a few days short of one. I tried something differently in the format of this one. I had to use the challenge of the GAang learning about Lu as a basis of this story, but I wanted to expand upon it more than just "I had a cousin who died…" so that is where this mess comes from.**

**We don't see nearly enough of Lu Ten in Avatar. Iroh mentions him a few times, and during "Tales of Ba Sing Se," you see a pic, and during "Zuko Alone" we find out he's dead. That's about it. For me, and YMTO (which stands for **_**you may think otherwise**_**) Lu Ten would have been just as much of a driving force for Zuko becoming who he really is, almost as much as Iroh, and even Ursa, had. Lu ten would have been that cool older cousin that just knows everything and can do anything. That's to say, that's the way a young Zuko sees him. For a childlike Zuko, whose father is always pushing for perfection and his sister is just better at everything, he would have idolized that older cousin.**

**Which that idolization proved to be a big part of this one-shot; mostly focusing on the Lu Ten/Zuko/Azula scene with the fire. When Zuko discovers that he can shot fire from his fingers, he wants nothing more than to run off and tell his big cousin. And in short, Lu ten is the one who Zuko confided in a bit later with his jealously and anger towards his sister. Zuko could have told anyone, **_**except for Ozai**_**, about his issue until he was blue in the face. And while any one of those people he confided in, **_**everyone from Ursa to Ty Lee**_**, would have tried to mend the situation a bit, I think Lu ten would have done the best job. And he did, in the use of Dao swords.**

**Everyone seems to have different ideas on where/when Zuko learned to play with swords. Everything from Piandao teaching him, to Lu Ten, to self-taught, to Azula stealing the swords when they were kids and giving them to Zuko for a present, to him just thinking they looked cool and bought them only to discover he was badass with them… the list goes on. For me it's a combo of Lu ten and Piandao. I think Piandao might have been the one to properly train him when he was growing up and Lu was off at war/dead, but I imagine the sword play started when big cousin showed him his set of swords. YMTO, but that's just how my fanon goes.**

**I am getting off track, back to important things…**

**No one ever gave Lu ten an appropriate age, so I made one up. I didn't want him to be too much older, because I wanted the two to have a close relationship, but I didn't want him to be too close to Zuko's age, because that would throw off the age he would have died around. For me, judging by the way Zuko looked and acted during the episode "Zuko Alone," I imagine he would have been about eleven/twelve when Lu Ten died. No more because he gets kicked out at 13, but no less because I imagine by that point Zuko had already developed his own self. So working with some numbers,**_** I am not a math person**_**; I pegged Lu Ten to be around nine years older than Zuko. That age ended up working out well. I messed around with what I imagined the two's relationship would be like, and figured it to be a similar one to me and my youngest brother. There's a defined age/maturity difference, but whenever the younger one is hurt/upset, the older, who ends up being Lu Ten, tries to fix the problem without a second thought as to why he is doing it.**

**But just like Zuko saw Lu as an older brother/role model, Lu Ten in turn saw Zuko as kind of a younger brother, which showed in the final scene. After losing his mother Lu Ten decides that he wants to protect everyone. A lose like that tends to trigger that protective/possessive side of a person. For Lu Ten, when his mother passed he makes it his mission to protect those he cares about. **_**Poor Ozai was not on the list of people to protect. **_**This similar trail rubs off on Zuko much later.**

_**I could go on this whole sociological/psychological ramble about how Lu Ten's desire to go into war and protect his nation sprang off from here, but that will have to wait. Maybe I'll work with that theme a bit whenever I get "His Zuko-ness" written and up. But for now, young Lu Ten just wants to protect his family.**_

**Another reason for that age difference came about in this **_**not sick at all **_**desire of mine to kill Lu Ten off young. With Zuko being about eleven/twelve whenever they heard the news, that would have placed Lu Ten to be about twentyish whenever he was killed. I imagine the age to go into war would be around eighteen for the Fire Nation, **_**I think that's the age here,**_** and considering how often we see thousands of Fire Nation soldiers just get whipped out, **_**a ton of snow dropped on their heads, and angry Ocean spirit drowning people, crashing air ships, Hama probably killed off a good hundred on her way out of the prison, Sparky Sparky Boom Man, better known as Combustion Man, got blown up, that one Air Temple was littered with people, wow the show kills a lot of Fire Nation people, **_**the army probably would have been overjoyed whenever a young fighter decided to join. Unfortunate for Lu ten, he only makes it a few years before he dies in a friendly mushroom cloud.***

*****_**If you're curious about the cause of the deadly mushroom, no it was not an atom bomb, it was Sir Combustion Man on a mission sent by a power hungry Ozai himself. He really did not like Lu Ten. But this is for another time.**__**One more chapter for "His Zuko-ness." **_

**Another point I want to clarify is that Katara/Zuko conversation near the end, and how she knew who Lu ten was. In a previously written work, "**_**A Smooth Edge,"**_** Zuko confides in Katara about his parents' marriage issues, and his cousin's death kind of. We all know the story as to what happened after Lu Ten died and Ozai started getting greedy, so I didn't want to spend a long time explaining to Katara all about plan "**_**Kill your son**_**," so that way she would understand the connections Zuko is making between Lu Ten's death and pretty much everything that was shown during **_**The Last Airbender**_**. It's just one of those things who just have to go with. We already know what happened; Katara already knew what happened, so we just skipped the long explanation.**

**Another important part I want to point out is Iroh's timing to visit said hill. I don't think, ****and correct me if I'm wrong****, they never clarified rather it was the day Lu Ten died, or his birthday, or some other special reason he decided to visit **_**that**_** hill**_**that**_** day. So I made the first trip on the day Lu died, **_**being inside Ba Sing Se must have been hard**_**, and the trip shown in this fic on Lu's birthday. Because in order to start the conversation Zuko had with the GAang, it would have been easier to get him to open up if he had started by, "It's my cousin's birthday," rather than "this is the day my cousin died." Birthdays are more happy ways to start.**

**A big part of writing Lu Ten was his feelings towards the war. I pictured him to be in about the same boat as Zuko had been. Growing up it was all "Go Fire Nation! Win the War!" but whenever he grew and started to see the horrors of war, he changed his mind on that front. Lu Ten, **_**for me at least**_**, was the first converter. He didn't get to ditch like Jong Jong did, but I certainly see him as being one of the first to question. Hence urging his father to stop the siege and helping a fallen **_**enemy**_**to the infirmary to fix the soldiers blown off leg. There were probably other soldiers who felt the same, but none of them had enough ties to the general, and the Fire Lord, to dare challenge the war.***

*****_**I didn't realize this at the time of writing that part but, and I wonder if anyone else was thinking along the same lines as me, whenever Lu Ten challenged the war, my mind connected with how Zuko did the same thing, but with a much different outcome. Lu Ten's questioning got Iroh to consider his son's words, Zuko's question got his father to burn his face… if we didn't know that Iroh is a much better father figure for Zuko by now, I hope you all see it now. This is cruel humor…**_

**Again, this whole concept if TIHYM****, but Iroh's decision to act against the Fire Nation, **_**in the North Pole, in Ba Sing Se, in Ba Sing Se again**_**… had to come from somewhere. You don't go from being the crown prince of the Fire Nation, Dragon of the West, General in the hundred year war, leader of the 600 Day Siege, and then just wake up and decide "Go Earth Kingdom!" It doesn't work that way. So I used Lu Ten as a medium for converting his father. And it kind of worked out for me.**

**I could be totally wrong in all of my ideas of Lu Ten and he could have been a heartless killer like Ozai. But I don't think that's how he would have been. For one, he's Iroh's kid. That automatically means that he's going to inherit awesomeness from his father. And two, for him and Zuko to have the desired relationship I needed for this fic, a mini Ozai wouldn't work for me. So we got this sweet man who loves kids and helps fallen enemy soldiers and who doesn't like to see innocent people hurt.**

**In the end I rationalize Uncle's conversion, and why Ozai didn't like Lu a lot, and summed up why Zuko looks up to his cousin so much, in a 4,604 word one-shot that sprang from a challenge that I completely turned 180, expanded from and probably failed at doing. I am proud of myself. This is some serious shit here.**

**That's about it for me on this one. **

**If you liked this, feel free to check out "A Life Returned," for more Lu Ten/Zuko bonding and adventures**

**Leave me any thoughts/comments that you may have**


End file.
